B.C. carbon tax kicks in on Canada Day

Stop the Propaganda — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:32:21 +0000

British Columbians will pay more at the gas pump as the provincial government’s carbon tax on all fossil fuels takes effect Tuesday. The carbon tax, introduced in the Feb. 19 budget, taxes carbon-based fuels — including gasoline, diesel, natural gas and home heating fuel — at a rate of $10 per tonne of greenhouse gases generated. [...]

The real green shift

rabble.ca news — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:37:55 +0000

The most obvious problem with the Green Shift proposed by Stéphane Dion is that the Liberal party plan will not reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly, if at all. The hidden assumption is that if the new carbon tax works, it will reduce the revenues available to the federal government.

The Carbon Tax: A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Brian Gordon — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:14:32 +0000

The price of oil is going up, up, up, and while there is much speculation about the cause(s), it is wishful thinking to believe that most of the cause is speculation - or that prices will "return to normal." What does this mean for carbon taxes and for our plan of action?

Environmental ‘reality check’ aims to clear the air on B.C. carbon tax

David Suzuki Foundation - Latest News — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

VANCOUVER – B.C.’s carbon tax, which takes effect July 1, has many British Columbians talking, but the debate has also stirred up a lot of confusion. To help clear the air, a coalition of environmental groups today released a “Reality Check” fact sheet on the top five misconceptions about the tax.

“We want all British Columbians to work together to solve the problem of global warming, and we believe a carbon tax can provide the signal for all of us to shift to cleaner energy and greener practices,” said Ian Bruce, a climate change specialist with the David Suzuki Foundation.

“It’s great that there’s so much debate about the carbon tax and its role in reducing global warming, but we want to make sure the debate is based on fact and not misinformation,” said Andrea Reimer, executive director of the Wilderness Committee.

“Reality Check” addresses the top five misconceptions about the B.C. carbon tax, including:
Myth 1 - The B.C. carbon tax won’t reduce emissions.
Myth 2 - Big industry is left off the hook.
Myth 3 - B.C.’s carbon tax is a “tax grab” or additional tax.
Myth 4 - B.C.’s carbon tax will hit consumers who are already reeling from high international oil prices.
Myth 5 - B.C. has introduced a “gas tax”.

While misconceptions have grabbed many of the headlines, important discussions about the solutions to global warming need to occur if B.C. is going to achieve a greener, brighter future.

“We urge all British Columbians to focus on solutions to the serious problem of global warming,” said Marc Lee, senior economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. “Let’s build an innovative, green economy in B.C. and tackle this problem head on.”

B.C. has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent below 2007 levels by 2020. A carbon tax is a powerful economic tool that can help get us to this target. But it will need to increase over time and must be coupled with other strong measures.

“The carbon tax is one of many solutions required to fight global warming,” said Matt Horne, acting director of B.C. energy solutions, Pembina Institute. “A comprehensive climate change plan will include many other measures, including tough regulations for the energy efficiency of vehicles and homes, as well as a major scale-up of transit investments.”

To read the “Reality Check”, go to www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/Carbon_Tax_Reality_Check.asp.

-- END --

For more information, contact:
Ian Bruce
Climate change specialist, David Suzuki Foundation
Cell: 604-306-5095

Matt Horne
Acting director of B.C. energy solutions, Pembina Institute
Cell: 778-235-1476

Susan Howatt
Director of campaigns, Sierra Club BC
Cell: 250-888-6267

Marc Lee
Senior Economist
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC Office
T: 604-801-5121 x228

Andrea Reimer
Executive director, Wilderness Committee
Cell: 604-719-3920

Cheryl Shuman
BC Sustainable Energy Association
Cell: 250-219-4546 (Dawson Creek)

On behalf of:
BC Sustainable Energy Association, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, David Suzuki Foundation, Dogwood Initiative, Georgia Strait Alliance, Pembina Institute, Sierra Club BC, West Coast Environmental Law, Wilderness Committee, Wildsight.

Stop the Propaganda / Feed the Truth » Carbon Tax

B.C. carbon tax kicks in on Canada Day

The real green shift

The Carbon Tax: A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Environmental ‘reality check’ aims to clear the air on B.C. carbon tax